Sleeve. French longe-côte championship: more than 400 competitors face extreme conditions

The foaming and whitening waves, pushed by a west wind sustained and very fresh for the season, undoubtedly reduced the morale of the troops, this Saturday June 15, 2024 at the end of the morning for the kick-off of the final tests of French longe-côte championship which took place all day under the showers at the southern hold of Hauteville-sur-Mer (Manche).

Difficult, in fact, to walk in water and progress in a turbulent sea by the squalls.

Extreme conditions

On several occasions, the lifeguards of the SNSM, present on the beach alongside the refereeing officials, intervened to support exhausted and refrigerated lungers at the end of their journey. “The conditions are extreme,” comments one of the two animatorswhile a squall stronger than the others brought the supervising teams, at the stroke of noon, towards the center of the sports village.

From 419 competitors registered in the different categories who mixed the women’s and men’s teams, the men undoubtedly braved the elements with more physical resistance than women, on the whole, and even, sometimes, with a smile after bathing.

Walk in the sea

With his southern accent which made him quite foreign to the autumn setting, François, who arrived from Carnon-Plage (Hérault), confided on Saturday noon, when he had just finished his test.

I didn’t know the Channel, and in mid-June, I didn’t expect to see rolls like that. It’s cool but I love this maritime painting, it’s superb.

THE younger registered were only 12 years old and, whatever the age groups (up to Master 4), the categories and the distance chosen, “all the finalists must walk in the sea without running, this is the principle of longe-côte” recalls Jean-François Solas.

” With a good level of immersion which requires having water between the navel and the chest. » By carefully following these finals which chose for the first time a Normandy playgroundTHE president of the sporting meetings of the FFR (French Hiking Federation) clarified the course of the events.

A test for the visually impaired

“There is the 1,000 meters in teams of four, the 400 meters in pairs, the 200 meters solo, and the 50 meter sprint with paddles, single or double. There is also the option to use webbed gloves and arm fins. »

And a 200 meter event is reserved for the visually impaired which are accompanied by a guide.

In all, these are 53 clubs coming from all over the country who are competing in this final phase of the French championship.

On the program this Sunday, a 10 km hike around Regnéville-sur-Mer. “It is also an opportunity to strengthen our notoriety in Normandy and to call on new members and clubs”, underline Étienne Amourette and Michel Dimpault, presidents of the FFR Manche and Normandy respectively.

From our correspondent Christophe LUNEAU

14 degrees is both the temperature of the sea water in which the competitors soaked on Saturday, and the air temperature recorded at noon at the southern hold of Hauteville-sur-Mer.

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